Fountain s



No. 622,755. Patented Apr. n, |899,

- F. s. BnAm.-

ELEvATon con'TnnLLE'n.

(Application med July 22, 1898.) (No Model.)

ma P71: WMM

nrrn Srarns nnte Partnr ELEVATOR-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,755, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed July 22. 1898.

To AZZ whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, FOUNTAIN S. BRAID, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, (Brooklym) in the State of New York, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Elevator-Controllers, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention belongs to that class in which the elevator-car is heldagainst movement in either direction by a clamp or locking deviceengaging the operating-rope and holding it, the locking device beingactuated by the movement of the shaft door or gate, and this inventionrelates more particularly to mechanism in immediate connection with suchdoor orgate and serving to initiate the movement of thc locking device.A difficulty encountered in successfully operating controllers of thisclass is the large expenditure of power exerted by the attendant inopening and closing the door by reason of the resistance offered by thetrain of mechanism necessarily set in motion by such act.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the door orgate may be moved with but little or no additional exertion and at thesame time transmit the power required in operating the locking device.

The invention consists in initiating the movement of the locking deviceby means of a separate cylinder and piston mounted near lthe shaft dooror gate and controlling the admission of pressure thereto by a valveoperated by the movement of such door or gate, so that instead ofexerting sufiicient force to set the lockingmeehanism the movement ofthe gate merely turns a valve controlling` the pressure, which when thusadmitted to the cylinder will through the piston exert the considerableforce required. The advantages gained will be at once seen andappreciated. The attendant is enabled to open and close the door or gateas easily as in the ordinary construction not equipped with lockingdevices. In situations where the locking is effected by pneumatic orother pressure the separate cylinder may receive its supply from thesame source, and in any situationthe cost of installation andmaintenance is not great in comparison with the saving in labor.

The accompanying drawings form a part of Serial No. 686.556. (No model.)

this specification and show the invention as I have carried it out.

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of an elevatorcage equipped with alocking device and my im proved means for operating the latter. Certainportions are in horizontal section. The remaining figures are on alarger scale. Fig. 2 is a face view of the gate as seen from theinterior of the elevator-shaft and a` portion of theimmediately-adjacent framing. Fig. 3 is a corresponding` verticalsection, partly in eleY vation.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A is an elevator car or cage, which may be of any ordinary or approvedtype equipped with hoisting mechanism and safetyappliances of anypreferred construction, and A is the operating or hand rope, extendingvertically of the elevator-shaft, through the car, to be grasped by theattendant in the latter and by its means control the hoisting mechanism.(Not shown.)

The car carries a locking device adapted when set to grasp and hold thehand-rope against movement in either direction relatively to the car,and thus prevent starting the latter until released. I have shown suchdevice as consisting of a pair of jaws D'l2 D3, inclosing the hand-ropebetween' them, one fixed to the framework of the car and the othercarried on the projecting end of a piston-rod D', attached to a pistonwithin the cylinder C, fixed to the car. Pressure is received from areservoir at any convenient location through a liexible pipe or hose C2and branch pipe C', controlled by a valve E, operated by an arm E2, linkE3, and lever E4. lVhen through this train of connections the valve isturned to admit pressure behind the piston, the rod D is thrust forwardand the jaws D2 D3 clamp the rope with a force de termined by thepressure and the proportions of the parts. The clamp' automaticallyreleases-itself when the pressure is relieved by a spring (not shown)inclosed in the cylinder and lying between the cylinderhead and frontface of the piston.

The lever F.4 carries at the outer end avertica'l shoe E7, adapted to beacted upon by mechanism mounted on the landing and op- IOO erated by themovement of the door or gate. This mechanism forms the basis of thisinvention, and it may serve with the locking device above described orany other form adapted to accomplish the desired end of holding the caragainst movement in either direction while the shaft door or gate is inthe open or partially open condition.

F is a pipe extending vertically of the elevator-shaft and bringingpressure from the reservoir supplying the locking-cylinder or from anyother available source,equipped at each floor or landing with a branchpipe F', communicating with the cylinder F2 behind the inclosed pistonF3 and controlled by the three-way valve G, having a stem G'. On theprojecting forward end of the piston-rod F4 is an antifriction-rollerF5, and F6 is a spring exerting its force in opposition to the pressureand serving to automatically drive the piston inward and withdraw theroller when the pressure in the cylinder is released. The cylinder ismounted in the framing adjacent to the door or gate and in such relationto the elevator-car and the shoe E7 thereon that when the car is at ornear the level ofthe landing the piston-rod F4 will be in line with someportion of the shoe and act through the roller F5 directly against thelatter when the piston moves forward, and thus through the lever E4 andits connections set the clamp D2 D3.

The means I have shown for throwing the valve G consists of a segmentalgear G2, carried by the valve-stem, meshing with a corresponding gearI-I, turning on a center 7L and having a lever-arm H extending outwardlyinto the path of the gate M. The latter is shown as of thevertically-sliding type and carries two rollers IW and M2, one near thetop of the gate and the other at a lower pointin the same vertical line.To the lever-arm H is knuckled'a link H2, extending downward to a leverH3, corresponding to the lever-arm and moving therewith through theconnecting-link. The link and levers are arranged in the vertical pathof the roller, and when the gate is lifted the upper roller M strikesthe lower lever H3 and tilts it into the upright or nearly uprightposition, the motion being communicated through the link and lever H tothe valve G. During the further movement of the gate the roller Mcontinues incontact with the link, thus holding the valve open, and bythe time the gate has risen sufficiently to carry the roller M out ofcontact with the link and upper lever the lower roller M2 is similarlyengaged and prevents the closing ofthe valve so long as the gate is inthe elevated condition. A reverse movement of the gate releases the linkand levers when the downward motion is completed and the latterautomatically return to the iirst position by gravity, assisted by aweight H4 on an arm H5 of the segment G2, tending to turn the valve tothe closed position. The upward movement of the gate turns the three-wayvalve G into position to admit pressure to the lcylinder F2 and thrustthe rod F4 forward and set the clamp, thus holding the operating-rope Asecurely until the gate is again lowered, allowing the valve G to turnto the position in which the further admission of pressure is stoppedand that already behind the piston escapes through the opening F7. Theaction of the spring F6, asserting itself, forces the 1 piston rearwardand withdraws the roller from contact with the shoe and allows theclamping or locking mechanism to release its grasp on the hand-rope. Theelevator-car may then be moved as usual.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions of the parts andthe general arrangement may be varied to suit thel conditions and spacepresented in various cases.

Forms of locking devices other than the one described may be used, andthe mechanism shown for controlling the valve G and communicating motionthereto from the gate may be varied.

It will be understood that the mechanism is to be duplicated on eachlanding or iioor. Instead of a weight to return the valve to the normalposition springs may be substituted.

I claim- In an elevator-controller, a landing gate or door, a cylindermounted near the latter and receiving pressure, a piston in saidcylinder moved by the pressure, mechanism controlling the admission ofpressure to said cylinder operated by said gate or door in opening andclosing, and mechanism carried on the car adapted to grasp and hold theoperatingrope of the latter and actuated by the movement of said piston,all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FOUNTAIN S. BRAID.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. STnTsoN, JOHN Bowls.

IOO

